Pressure ulcers, e.g., decubitus ulcers, are known to develop as a result of an inactive metabolic and inflammatory process which begins when sufficient pressure is applied to the skin and underlying tissues to overcome normal arterial and/or capillary blood pressure and can result in tissue anoxia and cellular death. In healthy individuals, any discomfort associated with any prolonged tissue point pressure anoxia can be relieved by movement of the affected area. Unfortunately, however, individuals and patients suffering from conditions such as acute peripheral neuropathy, paraplegia, dementia, or other debilitating conditions, who are unable to sense pain or discomfort and unable to effect movement to alleviate such, can eventually develop ulcers or ulcerations which can be difficult to manage in a clinical environment due to an individual's or patient's position. The individual or patient may be confined to a posterior position or location, exposed to various contaminants, experience wound drainage, or require frequent dressing changes, each of which can contribute to the formation and exacerbation of ulcers and ulcerations.
Certain treatments have been found to be beneficial in treating individuals and patients afflicted with pressure ulcers. Individuals and patients, for example, have been found to benefit from ulcer pressure off-loading, frequent rotation, wound management regimens, dressing changes, treatment with antibiotics, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (“HBO”). Whenever possible, ulcer patients are placed on low-pressure beds to reduce point pressures and promote healing. While Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been found to be of particular benefit to patients suffering from pressure ulcers, such treatments typically involve placing the patient on the thin, firm mattress systems supplied by hyperbaric chamber manufacturers. Due to the limited space in typical hyperbaric chambers, such mattresses are usually thin and consequently firm. Some individuals or patients, however, may not be able to tolerate lying on firm mattresses typically utilized in connection with hyperbaric chambers and could be clinically compromised if transferred to such a hyperbaric chamber mattress. Further, any transfer to a different mattress could result in skin shear as well as damage to newly granulated tissues within healing ulcers.